Gold-separator



(No Model.)

H} 0. WALKER -& w. BACON.

GOLD SEPARATOR.

No. 288,520. Patented Nov. 13, "1883.

, IINVENTORL $46 WITNESSES G444 ATTORNEYS.

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UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'HIRAM- o. WALKER AND WILLIAM Bacon, OF SILVER CLIFF, COLORADO;

GOLD-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,520, dated November13, 1883.

Application filed August 7, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HIRAM G. WALKER and WILLIAM BACON, 'of- SilverCliff, in the county of Custer and State of: Colorado, have inventedanew and Improved Gold-Separator, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

Our invention consists in improved means for saving flour or fine goldand other metals which would otherwise be carried off by the waterorsand in mining operations.

The invention is intended to be applied to a sluiceway or box throughwhich the water and-sand are passed; and it consists in a se ries ofmetallic troughs which are set in the bottom of the sluicewayalternately, with similar troughs suspended from above by cleats orhangers, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a sluiceway or box with ourimproved troughs. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of. the same. Fig. 3is a cross-section. Fig. 4. represents one of the metallic troughs; andFig. 5 is a sectional view of the box, showing the hinged top as in use.7

The sluice or box A may be the ordinary sluiceway for the tailings inmining operations, or it may be constructed especially for the purpose.

a a are the troughs or receptacles, which are made of sheetcopper,silver-plated, the strips of the metal being bent lengthwise to form theU shapedtroughs or receptacles, one edge being formed higher than theother, as shown. Thesetroughs a are set in grooves 12, that are formedtransversely in the bottom of the box, parallel with each other and aproper distance apart, so that troughs are obtained at right angles tothe current of the material passed through the box.

The top of the sluice-box to which thev hangers d are secured, ispreferably made double-thatis, so that a hinged or adjustable underportion, a, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, may be allowed to conform itselfto the current of water passing through the box; but the-top of theboxmaybe made solid and permanent, as in an ordinary sluice-box. We donot limit ourselves in this respect.

may be filled with fresh mercury. In the abthose placed in the bottom ofthe sluiceway.

These latter are preferably placed alternately with those at the bottom,and may be of any number, as desired, and at any suitable distanceapart.

By this construction and arrangement the current of sand and waterpassed through the sluice is forced to come alternately in contact withthe upper and lower troughs, and the fine metal contained in the waterand sand is brought intimately in contact with the mercury in thetroughs. The troughs can be re moved from time to time, in order thatthey sence of water the sand can be run or forced through the box in adry state.

This device is simple, and overcomes the difficulties heretoforeexperienced by miners in saving the flour or fine gold or other metal.

Having thus described'our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters I Patent I 1. In a gold separator, a sluiceway havinga series of mercury-troughs arranged on its bottom and a series ofsimilar troughs suspended from its top, substantially as herein shownand'described. I

2. The combination, with the sluiceway or box A, of the sheet-metaltroughs a, provided with mercury, fitted in grooves b in the bot- .tomof the box, and of the hangers cl, carrying similar troughs providedwith mercury, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a goldseparator, the combination, with the sluiceway or box A,having mercurytroughs in its bottom, of the hinged top a,

having mercury-troughs suspended therefrom,

substantially as herein shown and described.

HIRAM O. WALKER. WILLIAM BACON.

